Rock Band 3 kicks off the downloadable content with The Doors

The release of Rock Band 3 is fast approaching as October 26th (29th for everyone outside of North America) is almost around the corner.

Those who purchase and play the game online for one week thereafter (until November 1st) will get a gift from MTV and Harmonix in the form of three The Doors tracks. The tracks include “Light My Fire,” Riders On The Storm” and “Touch Me.”

The Rock Band 3 downloadable content continues with The Doors when the game releases. A total of 12 songs will be available, including tracks that will be playable with the Pro Guitar and Pro Bass feature. For the full list of songs, read on.

Cambridge, Mass. – Oct. 13, 2010 – Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game developer, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced that the legendary music of The Doors will be the first available for download in Rock Band 3 when the game launches Oct. 26 in North America and Oct. 29 in the rest of the world for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Nintendo Wii™ and Nintendo DS™, and MTV Games and Harmonix are giving away three of The Doors’ songs for one week to any fan that purchases Rock Band 3 and plays online to celebrate the release of the game.

"I'm very excited that keyboards are finally a part of Rock Band. It's about time you guys got hip to the necessity of keys in rock,” said Ray Manzarek, keyboardist for The Doors. “This is going to be great for all the gamers, because it’s a lot more difficult. Rock Band 3 will require some brainwork, so let's 'Break On Through!' By the way, get those free downloads: 'Light My Fire,' 'Riders On the Storm' and 'Touch Me' are all great keyboard songs. And look out for The Doors' lost masterpiece, Live in Vancouver, when it releases Nov. 22!"

“At the outset of the Rock Band 3 project, we identified The Doors, with their powerful songs driven by intricately woven keyboard, guitar and drum parts, as an ideal partner for our game,” said Paul DeGooyer, Senior Vice President of Music, Electronic Games and Programming for MTV Networks. “As they are also one of the greatest rock bands of all time, we are tremendously proud that they will be the first artist featured in the Rock Band 3 download store and that we’re able to bring this special offer of their music to everyone who buys Rock Band 3 the week it releases.”

On Oct. 26, 12 of The Doors’ most-loved songs, including three tracks with the Pro Guitar and Pro Bass feature, will be added to the Rock Band 3 Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii. It was previously announced that The Doors’ quintessential song, “Break On Through (To the Other Side)” is featured in the on-disc soundtrack of Rock Band 3 and is also the soundtrack for the game's opening cinematic clip.

A three-pack of songs that feature Pro Guitar and Pro Bass upgrade downloads will be available for free to fans that purchase Rock Band 3 and play online during the first week the game is available (Oct. 26 – Nov. 1). The free pack, which is available only through the Rock Band 3 in-game Music Store, includes “Light My Fire,” “Riders on the Storm” and “Touch Me,” which incorporate five-button guitar and bass, Drums, Pro Drums and Keys, Pro Keys and harmonies, where applicable, as well as a free expansion that will add Pro Guitar and Pro Bass parts.

Additionally, a nine-pack of songs from The Doors will also be available for download that week. This includes some of the classic rockers’ most-loved songs, like “Hello, I Love You,” “L.A. Woman,” “Love Her Madly” and “Roadhouse Blues,” all featuring Drums, Pro Drums, five-button guitar and bass parts and, where applicable, harmonies and Keys/Pro Keys parts. A complete list of the songs that will be available is as follows:

Beginning Nov. 2, The Door’s Rock Band downloads will be available for purchase only as individual songs or in a bundle of all 12 songs.

As noted above, on Nov. 22, THE DOORS - LIVE IN VANCOUVER, a two-disc set of previously unreleased live recordings from June 6, 1970, at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, will be released by Rhino and Bright Midnight Archives. The set features a guest performance by Albert King on four songs and includes "When The Music's Over," "Five To One," an extended version of "Light My Fire" and much more from this historic performance. Suggested pricing is $19.98 (CD) and $13.99 (digital). More details are available at http://thedoors.shop.musictoday.com/Dept.aspx?cp=1127_40995

To date, Rock Band fans have downloaded more than 75 million songs from the Rock Band Music Store, and the Rock Band Network Music Store. With more than 2,000* tracks available in the Rock Band platform, Harmonix and MTV Games stands next to none as the leading provider of downloadable content for rhythm video games. Rock Band pioneered offering content in a variety of ways, through on-disc game play, game export, downloadable content and the Rock Band Network. The Rock Band platform allows fans to interact with their favorite music in a unique and hands-on way, and also gives artists the ability to reach fans through a whole new channel.

Rock Band 3 will be compatible with all Rock Band™ and The Beatles™: Rock Band™ peripherals, as well as most Guitar Hero® and other authorized third-party music video game peripherals and microphones. Pro Mode requires Rock Band Pro-compatible instrument controllers. Mad Catz is the official, licensed peripheral manufacturer and distributor for Rock Band 3 game controllers. Rock Band Pro Guitar mode is compatible with the Rock Band 3 Fender™ Mustang™ PRO-Guitar™ Controller and the Rock Band 3 Squier® by Fender Stratocaster® Guitar Controller (manufactured and distributed by Fender). Find more information on how to pre-order Rock Band 3 today here <http://www.rockband.com/games/rockband3> .